


Madame Rouge

by YamiHeart



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-15 14:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4610859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiHeart/pseuds/YamiHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Madeline didn't know what to expect when she was asked out by the gorgeous Francine, but she certainly hadn't expected getting roped into an international crisis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Madame Rouge

Madeline nervously picked at her lilac dress as she sat by herself in Fleur de Lys, the fanciest and most expensive French restaurant in the city. She honestly had no idea how Francine had gotten a reservation that had to be made months in advance when the older woman had asked her out only two days earlier, but all Francine had said was that she had “connections”. Those connections had clearly come through, since Madeline was currently eyeing a wine glass she was afraid to touch, but where was Francine? Perhaps the French native had forgotten about the date or, worse, set up the date as a cruel joke. With Madeline’s luck, both options were equally possible.

Just as Madeline was ready to excuse herself for the night and return to her apartment for some frozen comfort, a waiter approached the table and pulled out the chair across from her. Madeline looked up from the possibly-real-silver fork she had been twirling between her fingers and gaped at the woman the waiter had shown in. Francine had been beautiful two days ago in dress pants, but in a sleek red dress with her makeup done just right? She was absolutely gorgeous. No wonder everyone in the room had their head turned. 

“Ah, I am so, so sorry, Madeline,” Francine said the moment her butt hit the plush cushion of the chair. “I cannot begin to express how rude it was of me to leave you waiting here for half an hour past our meeting time. Have you eaten anything yet? Have you at least ordered?”

Madeline gave her head a quick shake to get it out of the clouds. Just because her date was drool-worthy didn’t mean she should lose her head! Francine was a woman just like her (though it was a bit hard to remember when Madeline was dressed for Easter brunch while Francine was ready for a night of cocktails and champagne).

“No,” Madeline replied. “I was waiting for you.”

Francine placed her perfectly-manicured fingers over her red-lipsticked lips. “You are so precious. Thank you.”

Madeline thought waiting was simply common courtesy, but she decided not to comment. Perhaps past dates had been less kind to Francine?

Anyway, the main reason Madeline hadn’t ordered anything was that all the prices terrified her. Three courses cost seventy-eight dollars  _per person_ , and that wasn’t including drinks! Madeline didn’t want to order the wrong thing, so she had waited for Francine to arrive to hear what she suggested. Just as Madeline was about to ask for some recommendations, she noticed Francine wasn’t looking at the menu at all. Francine wasn’t look at her, either; she was completely turned around in her chair, looking at God-knows-what.

“Um…Francine?” Being late was one thing, but having you back turned to your date at the table? Now that was beyond rude! 

“Hm?” Francine turned back around and blushed as she seemed to realize how inappropriate she had been. “Oh, sorry. I simply thought…” The brunette shook her head and stood. “Please excuse me for a few minutes more, Madeline. I have to use the restroom.”

Madeline sat in shock as her date walked off to “use the restroom”. This had to be a joke. She was being pranked. Why else would someone as gorgeous as Francine ask out someone as plain as Madeline? That stupid grey-haired German Madeline kept turning down had probably put Francine up to it, and the two of them were probably laughing at her for waiting for half an hour without ordering anything. Madeline didn’t have to put up with that. She may have been a bit of a pushover, but she wasn’t someone you could push around for cheap entertainment.

After a few minutes of riling herself up, Madeline decided enough was enough and stood to leave. A firm hand clamping down on her shoulder nearly gave her a heart attack, but when she turned she found it was just the waiter who had given her a scare.

“Is everything alright, Madame?”

Madeline brushed the hand off her shoulder and sighed. “Yes, everything is fine. I was just leaving.” She took a step to the side, but the waiter mirrored her movements to block her escape.

“Oh, but you have not eaten anything yet.”

“Yes, I’m sorry for taking up your table for forty minutes without ordering anything. Please give it away to whoever is waiting for dinner.” Again she moved to leave and again she was blocked. Madeline was really starting to get frustrated. Didn’t people know when they had taken a joke too far?

“But you cannot leave yet.”

“And why not? Have I not been humiliated enough yet?” Madeline was close to tears. She just wanted to go home and forget this whole night.

A strong arm wrapped around Madeline’s waist from behind as a  _very_  sharp knife was pressed to her neck. “Because we need you to trap Madame Rouge,” grumbled the man behind her.

Madeline blinked. “Um…what? Who?”

“Madeline!”  

Francine ran and pushed herself off their table to land a high kick upside the head of Madeline’s knife-wielding assailant. The man’s grip went lax as he collapsed, and his knife was scooped up by Francine. With the knife in hand, Francine went at the waiter, who blocked the initial attack with a large platter. Hand-to-hand combat ensued, with Francine clearly on the offensive. Ultimately, it was an elbow to the sweet-spot between the waiter’s neck and shoulder that knocked him out cold. Francine retrieved his platter before finally going to check on the scared-stiff Madeline.

“Madeline, are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

“…What?”

Francine had no time to answer Madeline’s question because at that moment all the other guests in the restaurant stood up and revealed their various weapons.

“ _Merde_ ,” Francine hissed as she pulled Madeline close to her. “Damn that Alice. She knew exactly where I would be.”

“Give it up, Madame Rouge,” voiced a particularly cocky British man who emerged from the crowd. “We have you surrounded. If you come quietly, you may be able to see the sun again someday.”

Francine’s stiff frown turned up into a smirk. “I have no intention of giving myself up any time soon.”

A large explosion from the direction of the bathroom shook the whole building. In the midst of smoke and confusion, Francine made her escape, making sure to keep Madeline close the whole time. Francine threw Madeline into the back seat of a black car before getting in next to her and slamming the door shut.

“Get us out of here, Francois,” Francine shouted, presumably addressing the man in the driver’s seat.

“It seems things went well,” Francois commented sarcastically as sped off into the street, narrowly missing a few bullets shot at the car from the restaurant.

“Yes, yes, thank you for your constructive criticism, Francois. It is very helpful.”

“Do not get snappy with me, Francine. I told you this would happen. A dozen of Alice’s agents do not show up at our front door to wish you a happy date.”

“What would you have me do? I could not leave Madeline at the restaurant when they knew our position! Who knows what they would have done to her!”

Francois took a sharp right as sirens sounded down the road. “You should not have gone in alone! You should have waited for Bella to arrive!”

“Explosives worked  _just fine_ , Francois. And only people who were not important got hurt.”

“I’m sorry, but  _what is going on?!”_  Madeline finally snapped out of her frozen state and verbalized her internal freak out. “Who were those people? Who are you people? Where am I?”

Francois snorted. “You did not even tell her? How could you not warn someone of all the danger you are putting them in?”

“Not  _now_ , Francois.” Francine’s harsh words and expressions melted softly once she turned her full attention to Madeline. “It may be a bit late, but there is something I need to tell you, Madeline. You see, I am a… well, I am, uh…”

“To you she is Francine,” Francois interjected, “but to the international community she is better known as Madame Rouge. She is a spy with knowledge of many secrets that people are willing to kill her for. Those men and women back there are agents of a British task force whose only objective is to take us down. I am Francine’s brother, but for now you may simply think of me as your getaway driver.”

Madeline stared at Francine with wide eyes. She wasn’t sure which was worse: getting pranked or getting roped into an international crisis.

Either way, this certainly turned out to be an interesting first date. 


End file.
